Hypertension and Proteinuria: a Class-effect of Antiangiogenic Therapies

Antiangiogenic therapy has now become a cornerstone in the treatment of several solid tumor cancers. Those drugs present with a renal toxicity profile manifesting as proteinuria and hypertension, often reported in the literature to be linked to bevacizumab, a monoclonal antibody targeted at the circulating vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). However, there is evidence that those side effects are most probably related to the pharmacological action of those drugs: the inhibition of the VEGF pathway. Thus, they may occur with any antiangiogenic therapy, either those acting on circulating VEGF (bevacizumab or VEGF-trap), or those acting on VEGF receptor(s) (sunitinib, sorafenib, or axitinib). Clinicians should thus be aware of such a 'class effect' to appropriately monitor and treat their patients, regardless of which antiangiogenic drug is used.